The unbeaten Welshman, who defends his WBO world super-middleweight title against American Charles Brewer at Cardiff's National Ice Rink on February 9, is set to hit the US jackpot in the spring.

Promoter Frank Warren, who also manages Calzaghe, said: "I believe Joe will get more against Brewer than Bernard Hopkins earns for his WBC and IBF world middleweight defence against Carl Daniels.

Hopkins, whom the WBA rate as their "super champion", is reported to be dissatisfied with his February 2 payday against Daniels in Philadelphia.

American TV network Showtime have screened Calzaghe's recent fights - including his latest defence, a four-round stoppage of American Will McIntyre on the Mike Tyson undercard in Copenhagen in October.

But they have delayed his US debut because of the Winter Olympics.

The equipment they would have used is fully booked because of world TV coverage in Salt Lake City.

Warren said: "Joe is now the highest paid super-middleweight in the world. Showtime picked McIntyre and were extremely impressed with Joe.

"I believe he will get better as time goes on. He is only 29 and anyone who comes to take him out will be found out.

"I am working on getting Canadian Eric Lucas, who holds the WBC title, to fight Joe next year and that could be in the States."

Calzaghe said: "I would love to fight Lucas, but the other two champions, Sven Ottke (IBF) and Byron Mitchell (WBA), are avoiding me."

Calzaghe, voted the British boxer of the year, will be making the 10th defence of the title he won against Chris Eubank in October 1997.

His victory over McIntyre was his 32nd in succession - 27 inside the distance.

Brewer, 32, from Philadelphia, won the IBF title against Gary Ballard in June 1997 and made three defences, including a 10th-round stoppage of Sheffield's Herol Graham, before losing to Ottke in October 1998.

He lost a disputed points verdict in a return with the German 15 months ago.

Brewer won the vacant NABF title against Ecuadorian Fernando Zuniga in Philadelphia in October, taking his record to 37 wins (26 stoppages) with eight defeats.

Warren said: "I would like to see Joe fight Roy Jones before he quits. Jones is a great talent, but he won't test himself, and he picks his opponents."